Earrings are popular items of jewelry which have been worn by men and women for centuries. The most common and popular earring design has traditionally been the hoop design. The advantages of that design is that such hoop earring is very easy and inexpensive to manufacture. As a result traditional hoops are very affordable. However, a post of the traditional hoop sticks out exposed from the back of an ear, which is not only aesthetically unattractive, but also presents a safety concern because the pointed end of the post is fully exposed and can damage the skin behind the ear and cause an infection. The same problem is present in a hinged hoop earring design utilizing a frictional connection with a straight post, as shown in FIG. 1.
The most common solution to the above problem that has been long known in the industry is to provide a clutch to cover the post on the back of an earlobe. However, such clutches are usually small and get lost easily.
Another possible solution is presented by a design disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,664. As shown in FIG. 2, these earrings are constructed as two half-hoops hingedly connected at the bottom. The post at the top is forced and secured into its place within the back half. When the earring is worn, the actual fastening arrangement is invisible. Although such design is aesthetically pleasing, it is expensive to manufacture because it requires a manufacturer to form an annular groove within a back half of the earring. This, in turn, requires an additional process in the chain of production, therefore, making the resulting jewelry less affordable.
Over the years, different designs of hinged hoop-style earrings has been presented. However, there is still a need in the industry for an earring that combines affordability of a traditional hoop with an aesthetically pleasing and safe design for the earring post.